devious guest

[Elizabeth3570]

Preview

Last week we had a couple that were celebrating their 40th Anniversary and they wanted to come early. 
We could not accommodate them. We leave a standard continental breakfast and they wanted special diet foods and again we could not accommodate them. We did get them fresh BC fruit though.
They did not reply to us as to when (approximately) they were arriving and when they did come they did not have a clue where our suite was. They did not read our listing or the e-mails we sent as the instructions of what we provide and where the suite is are very clear.
They left us a very sweet guest book thank you and a very nice review on Air Bnb and then gave us a 3 star rating for being dirty, a fridge that made noise,  a cluttered space...- just trashed our place.
We are 5 star and very clean and there was nothing wrong with the fridge. I asked our next  guests and it was fine. We could not find anything wrong with it.
I talked to the super host support. They would not acknowledge my suggestion that hosts be protected from guests like this. The stars they gave me are invisible to other guests and hosts and no one realizes that these people are just out to lower your stars and be devious and mean for no reason that I can see.
The experience with customer support has made us rethink opening a  new BnB when we move.
We received a reprimand from Air BnB immediately telling us to keep our suite clean and to represent our listing better. The guest complained that they "imagined" our suite would be bigger -- and said it was misrepresented.
We make no claims to the size and there are many photos.
We have many guests that say it is bigger that they pictured.
I am frustrated that guests like this are allowed to bully super hosts that work so hard.
Reviews should match the stars so guests cannot do this.
Also frustrating that Air BnB Customer refuses to acknowledge this issue in any way.
They went from telling me constantly how important I was as a host to just e-mailing me to telling me we were done with our conversation and closing the case.
They seem to have streamlined their customer service to no service and have pat answers for everything. Very disappointing experience.
We have 234 reviews and have very good comments. We work very hard for our guests and to be an exceptional representative for Air Bnb.
I wanted to share my experience with you and say YES Air BnB needs to protect their hosts better. They suggested I leave a comment to my guests review in reply. How do I do that when the review was fine? This person is obviously not a nice person and they know where I live....am I safe to comment about their behavior? I have not decided yet.
 

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Elizabeth3570 The stars are visible to all which is how I know you have 1 x 3 star review and the rest are 5 stars. I would just ignore the star rating and I am sure people will think it is a mistake given the positive comments the guest left.

[Greystone0]

Hi @Elizabeth3570 ,

Totally understand and empathize with the situation. Guests have an awful lot of latitude in such a situation and it's frustrating, especially when you really do have quality at top of mind.

Here's my initial impression:

- your overall rating is excellent and the actual 3 star review doesn't mention anything specific that let them down. It reads like the three stars was a mistake even. The individual ratings (cleanliness, etc are 5 star, with 4.9 for value, overall super excellent).

- given your context it seems possible that they were just a bit cranky that they didn't receive the special treatment that they felt entitled too. Hard to avoid cranky guests, even though you seem to have done so successfully for a long time 😉

- you could consider making a response, something like "....we are surprised at this 3 star overall review as it doesn't represent how we do business. This guest shared a written comment in the guest book saying "blah blah".  We work hard to create a great guest experience."

- if you are inclined to leave a response, I would stay away from mentioning that you didn't meet their requests for an early check in or special food.  They didn't mention it so no need to open that can of worms.

- seperate to all of it,  I would respectfully add that there may be something for your to double check and review. Any comments, even if made with spite are worth looking into. I wouldn't rely on a next guest to tell you if the fridge is/isn't noisy (not that you didn't go further already). Clutter? take another look with fresh eyes. Maybe a small edit is due. My experience is that what one person mentions others probably have noticed but recognize it isn't something to complain about, nonetheless, it can be worthwhile to address.

Wishing you continued success!